“You were married before Aunt Sue, weren’t you?”
“Yes, and that year Mother and Sue went abroad. Sue was married in Paris and she remained there for some time. Then Mother came home, and Sue went around the world with her husband. Maurice was born, I believe, in some unheard of place,—I declare I have forgotten. Mother wrote me about it after she had forgiven me for marrying your father. Suzanne was born in France, I believe.”
“Did Nancy or any one ever tell you that Aunt Sue was in love with Dad?”
Mrs. Sterling looked up in surprise. “No. What an idea! Of course—your father came out to see Sue in the first place, before he met me there, but,——”
“Listen, Mother; this is what the old gardener told me; rather, he referred to you as the daughter who married ‘the man that the other one wanted.’ I told Dad about it one time, and I supposed that he might tell you.”
“Your father is too modest a man for that. I am surprised; but it would account for many things.” Mrs. Sterling looked off into space and let her sewing drop into her lap.
Ann respected her mother’s thoughts and kept quiet.
“Poor Sue!” her mother said at last. “I wonder if she really were in love with your father!”
“Now, Mother, don’t go to pitying Aunt Sue! Think how awful it would have been for Father if she had married him. How lucky it was that he did meet you before Aunt Sue’s wiles got him!”
Ann was half laughing as she spoke, but she meant what she was saying.